Heat pump system



July 13, 1965 J.. c. HARIED HEAT PUMP SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1962 b nl INVENTOR.

2H. ornex,

J. C. HARIED July 13, 1965 HEAT PUMP SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1962 INVENTOR. Jain Y Jzmeaf A Ormel- United States Patent O 3,194,303 HEAT PUMP SYSTEM lohn C. Haried, 1616 Kenilworth Place, Aurora, 1li. Filed May 28, 1962, Ser. No. 198,313 4 Claims. (Cl. 16S- 29) The present invention is an important improvement in closed heating and cooling distribution system. More particularly the -invention relates to a novel heat pump system which utilizes the earth to store solar heat during the summer months for use in heating an inside space during the winter months. The system also functions for withdraw-ing exce-ss heat from such inside space during summer months and discharging it either into the earth for storage or dissipating it in atmosphere. A further characteristic of the novel system is that usable heat may be made available for transfer between individual room units in an inside space.

More particularly the system includes a novel arrangement of heat source and heat distribution components so arranged as to obtain maximum efficiency at minimum cost, including in some installations the use of a natural water source, such as a Well, for obtaining the required heat transfer while in other instances the earth itself. The heat pump system includes a refrigerant compressorcondenser system which has associated therewith a novel flow direction or reversing valve operable to control the direction of refrigerant flow so as to store collected heat from the atmosphere and from an inside space in a ground storage area or to carry heat from said area into an inside space to be heated by said heat. rThis heat transfer is effected at minimum cost and to a high degree of eiciency by operation of the heat pump which carries Water from any source such as a deep well, or to and from a ground coil embedded in the earth, into and through a heat exchanger forming an integral part of the compressor-condenser system.

A11 example of the effectiveness and operation of the solar-ground heat transfer system herein disclosed may be substantially as follows with variations normal to variable conditions.

During the winter season a heat collector coil will extract heat generated by the sun from warm daytime air for delivery into air inside space. B.t.u."s, in excess of the heating requirements of the inside space, are carried into a ground coil and are stored in the earth until the outside temperature falls below the temperature of the earth in the area of the ground coil. During the nighttime the solar heat collectorcoil is shut off, and heat stored during the daytime cycle in .the earth is recaptured and transferred -to'the inside space for heating same.

During summer months, heat is removed by the system from the occupied or inside space and is rejected from the system into the ground coil Where it is stored along with heat extracted from the sun by the heat collector coil. During this cycle of operation the temperature of the earth surrounding said ground coil rises from its normal 52 F. to approximately 100 F. by the end of summer. Thus, at the start of the heating season, thereare lmillions of B.t.u..s stored from the preceding summer sun and rejected inside space heat which B.t.u.s are, when required, recaptured and conveyed into the inside space for heating same. The prestored B.t.u.s lplus the, B.t.u.s added during Warm daytime in the winter season are suilicient to maintain the ground temperature sufficiently high to provide adequate inside space heating throughout the winter season.

In a system using a deep ywell instead ofthe ground coil, the heat is rejected into or extracted from the well Water during the different cycles of operation.

It is therefore an object `of the invention to provide a novel solar-earth heat transfer system.

ild Patented July 13, 1965 "ice Another object is to provide a novel heat exchange system.

Another object is to provide a novel heat means for extracting heat from the atmosphere and from an inside space to be cooled and storing said extracted heat in the earth for subsequentrecapture and use in heating such inside space.

Another object is to provide a heat exchange system of the character referred to that operates with a minimum of moving parts, and is economical and efficient to use.

With the foregoing and such other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to identify corresponding parts:

FlGl is a schematic View of the component parts of an exemplary heat pump system, illustrating the direction and path of refrigerant flow during a heating cycle;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view similar to FIG. l, but showing the direction and path of refrigerant flow during a cooling cycle;

FIG. 3 is a detailed central sectional View of the refrigerant directional flow valve, as positioned during a heating cycle;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the valve taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3; Y

FiG. 5 is a detailed central sectional view ofthe refrigerant directional flow valve, as positioned during a cooling cycle;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged transverse sectional View of the valve taken on line 6 6 of FlG. 5; and,

FIG. 7 is a sectional View of a representative form of heat exchanger.

Referring to the schematic illustrations of a representative installation of a solar-ground heat exchange system, and particularly to the exemplary representations shown in FiGS. 1 and 2, hot compressed refrigerant leaves a compressor 11 through a discharge line 12 and enters a four-way refrigerant ilow reversing valve 13,- Which is described in detail hereinafter. This valve may be of a type known commercially as a 4WB Series Reversing Valve, manufactured -by Alco Valve Co. Further description of the installation can best be related by specific reference to the heating cycle and then to the cooling cycle.

Heating Cycle When the system Vis set to perform a heating cycle, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the refrigerant flow reversing valve 13 has its reciprocable valve body 14 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) located in the uppermost of its two positions so as to allow super-heated refrigerant entering through line 12 to flow through a valve passageway 15 in said body to an outlet port connected by line 16 to a combination evaporating-condensing unit or fluid temperature modifying device generally indicated at 17. The unit 17 acts as a refrigerant condenser and sub-cooler and has associated with .it a suitable blowerl for circulating air outside therethrough and around the coils thereof and into the inside space to be conditioned.

Specifically, the combination evaporating-condensing unit 17 includes a first section including a first coil 19 into the upper end of which enters refrigerant -fromline aisance 16.1 As the refrigerant 'travelsV down throughl coil i9 .l

much ofj its heat is absorbed and dispersed by the airV passing out of the unit. As will Vbe made apparent later,

theair flowing over coil 19 has been pre-heated. The de-superheated refrigerant. leaving coil wis collected in r a bottom header 21 and is, conveyedY by lineV 22 to the upperheader of:.ajsecond.coil ZSinunit 17. YThe air flowing overgand around 'coil 23 will absorb suieient heatl frorn rthe -de-superheated refrigerant flowinglin said coil 23 to cause the refrigerant to change its statefrorrrYA a hot gas toV a lowerternperature liquid by the time-it'V reaches the bottom-header 24% .of said coil. c

The liquid or wet hot gas' then passes from header an'outlet lineV 27 leading` rom Vsaid receiver VZ6 are disposed withtheir open endsbelow they liquid level therein so that* only pure .liquid refrigerant''is,conducted back to thelevaporating condenser unit ll7 through a second 'section. cornprised of accoil .orserie-s of coils 2S. Air en- Y teringA the unitl initially encountersV coil 122i,` and being,

lowerin temperature than the liquid, the. airwill absorb state so its later action is .more efficient.

heatfroin the liquidV and leave the liquid in a sub-cooledv Y 24 through aV conduit 2,.having a reverse flow check'V valve 25a therein andisdischarged intoja liquidrefrigerant receiver. 2 6. Because the refrigerant entering rc. ceiver 26 .in a mixture of liquidandwet'hot gas', both'.- V the .discharge end ofconduit 25 and the receiving end of It should be evident at this tiniethat during a heating i `season air `entering unit.17 is.. considerably cooler than the `refrigerant in coil Zfandrconseguently the air stream K absorbs anyheatthen retained by the refrigerant flowsv ving through said coilnand the temperature offsaid air raised toa degree that is'still'considerably lessthan the temperature of the" de-superheated gases in thecoil 23 Y Y which it next encounters.V VThus, heat is absorbed 'by said airstreanr from `thelr'le-superlieated gasesV in coil 23 and is removed by said "air stream which then. passes around and over .coil 19 through which the lsuper-heated gas flows to absorb someof the heat therefrom.

Still referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the sub-cooled y liquid refrigerantvin lcoil 28 leaves said coil through aV conduit`29 Whichcarries it toa refrigerant fluid heat exs;

changer 31, .an .expansion valveSZ being provided -in saidV conduit. This` heat exchanger is best, illustrated in FIG.' 7 'and its component elements willrberdesribed in detail presently. .Howeven as the ,liquidxrefrigerant'Y* passes beyond expansion` valve 32 it enters the low pressure side ,of the system and expands and,vduring kits passage through the heat exchanger 31,.it absorbs heat Y from the heat medium in theheat exchanger andv returns to a gas state.. TheV re-gasified refrigerant leaves the heat exchanger through conduit 33 and ,enters port 34 in reversing valve 13 which conducts said gas through avalve rbodypassage 35 Vin register therewith (see FIG.Y

3) and into a suction line 35' leadingY fromthefvalve to 'Y an accumulatorA 37. As shown,.the accumulator comprises a closed tank into which the gas enters freely.v An outlet comprising a U-shaped conduitiSV n said. tank has a minute orifice 39 inits lower curved end. One end of saidconduit 38 is in direct communication with the interior ofl accumu-j lator tankV 37 to; admitvapor thereintoand its other end is 'connected tov an outletconduit 41 leading back to cornpr'essor` 11 Where the cycleis repeated.- The orifice ,391

in saidU-'shaped conduit 35B. permits a particular amount of refrigerant liquid and.. oil which may'accurnulate ini tankrfl 'to enter conduit 38 andbe vaporized byjthe' Y Ypressure; drop. occurring :in passing through this. orifice;`

v Inithe present disclosure, Vtherheat exchanger` 31 has liuidiiow connections withra ground storage coil 42 andv witha solar element 43.. The ground coilreceiv'es re-pv jected heat from the inside space' during the cooling Ysea-` son, as will be described presently, andV also lieatzrcol-.lV lected from the sun-by the solar element during .theV coolingriseason as well as excess heat collected inthe d ay- A Ythrough .conduit 29 but; in ithis` instancejit A-b time during the heating season.

rounding sarne Vto raise fronrits' normal'ofaboutSvZ-F.

to about "F.by the endofjthe sumneng VThi'sistored E heat is drawnl` uponduringltheiheating cycleQtovsupply' the rrequisite .temperature Vforl operating f heat,V *exchanger 3l .when the system is functioningto deliver; heat-to:an inside space; Y

' Y The Vheat transfer between the heat exchanger and the` solar and ground coils Vis. controlled primarily .through,VK operation -of temperaturecontrolledvalves in theV cont-.Y necting conduits. More particularly, ground andfsolar heat is .deliveredgto the liquid're-frigerant by ftheV heat VVe'x-qV ychanger duringspace heatinggso fasftoireverhthefrefrig- Y etant toits. original "gaseous state? ture controlledsolenoid valve 51 mounted therein@Y Y'The space coil`or solarel'ement-Vlfalso'is. connected,

as by 'a conduit 5?, Vto the .conduit'ileading from'the.

heat exchanger. 371; whereas; a iconduit connects saidf solar elementvvithithereturn .conduit '47.. Thefconduit f v5.3i also has Va temperature'controlled solenoidvalved Y therein.

' During a heating*cyclesolenoidvalve,lfis ouen Y .Y ever the. air temperature is lower thantheluidtemperaturev measured in 'lineA 47, vvhereasjsolenoidy valve ."-Ed` is open only so longrasV the routdoortemperature is aboveg` -V the fluid temperature measured in 'gline 47 Qso'ias to surA pleurent the heatdelivered tothelhefat exchang'er.through` Y Y i The'same `components' and'slubstantially-Y thesarneV systemof :conduits is Vused .for V.spacec oolingf- YTof,accomplish .l this, the position'offrvalvebody ldfof flow reversing valve: f-

13 is'reversed .to alter the direction Vof Vliowiovfy the refrig-V erant liquidrandjgases through the. conduits;V The'jiow cycle is' illustrated:` Vin FIGS. I2); 5 janclgrVA YAs therein dis:

closed, ;corn`pressed refrigerant gaglleaves compressor 11 i through conduit l'fandzvpasses into' ovv reversingvalve 13 whichnowhasfits valveelernent14 located in 'itslovv-VV Y errnos't positionfas shown inFIGL 5V.. l. 'rlfhegsuper-heated Y' refrigerant gasyfrorn vconduit 12 now flowsf through a,V passageway. Se inv the? valve vbody `rand.'into'.conduitifr Y leading to therefrigerant.heatiexchangerjlkffSince this gas has ateniperature farrin excess of the? ground terri#Y valve-*62 Vlvvhich allows. the refrigerant to,' changeyfrom its Vliquid state ltoiaflowV temperature'fgasf The, refrigerant Y gas then successivelyflows-@through'coils'l23fand-L'1of.: j evaporatin'g-condensing unit 17 where" itj absorbs-heats .Y frorn higher temperaturefair'now flowing froin the jinsideg fV The `nowjloiif f pressure refrigerant ,-gas ileavinggcoil" 19' flowsfthi'oughy f .conduit Y lzback. 4to refrigerant .ow valverr'13.r With said` valve inthevpositionA shown infFIGf'Sy'the jgszjas'seslz spaceito theratmosphere over said ,coil

rIt'ha's beeft-established v by y*experirnental installations that. therjground .coil l2` causes the temperatureiof the-earth in theregionsurA Referringto FIGSyl and 7Qtheheatf'zrx'changer'31` rnayj` include an innen chamber 44;connectedwith'conduits@` V23.-.53, and an [outer chambenl'having inlet andioutlet.r t. conduits 236 Vand i7 respectively; in .communication .tlV1gire--;`V with;V A pumpliS inV conduitzdofoperates 'to'jrnaintain a steady ilo-w of liquid through conduit. 4d `from groundf i coilv dZQThe. return. conduit 'lalsodsf connected tol f ground coil 42 through aiconduit 49;havingja..ternperaizV through a passageway 63 in valve element 14 and enters conduit 36 which conducts it back to accumulator 37. From the accumulator, the gas re-enters compressor 11 and the flow cycle is repeated.

General The heat pump system is readily converted for use in conjunction with a deep well, the water of which is used during both heating and cooling seasons. In such instance the solar unit and ground coil are omitted and the inlet and outlet conduits 46-47 leading to and from heat exchanger 31 are connected with the source of well water for effecting the requisite heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through the system.

In all instances, the controls for the solenoid valves, blower, motor, compressor, and flow reversing valve may consist of conventional temperature responsive control units mounted in requisite positions for maximum efficiency and the heat pump system preferably is enclosed in a suitable cabinet, generally indicated in dot-dash lines 64 so as to provide a self-contained unit.

As many possible embodiments may be made in the invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A heating and cooling apparatus comprising a refrigerant compressor, a fluid temperature modifying device, means connected to said compressor for circulating a refrigerant therebetween, and means for passing a fluid whose temperature is to be modified through same in heat exchange relation therewith,V said device cornprising at least a first section and a second section, the latter of which is disposed upstream from said first section, the first section comprising a combined evaporatorcondenser and said second section comprising liquid refrigerant sub-cooling means, a liquid refrigerant receiver connected intermediate said first and second sections and including means for separating any gas from the liquid refrigerant entering same, said means for circulating a refrigerant comprising a refrigerant Huid heat exchanger connected intermediate the sub-cooling section of said temperature modifying device and said compressor, and a refrigerant oW reversing valve connected intermediate the compressor and each of said first section of the modifying device and said refrigerant uid heat exchanger.

Z. The heating and cooling apparatus recited in claim 1, in which a solar unit and a ground coil are connected in heat exchange relation to the refrigerant fiuid heat exchanger.

3. The heating and cooling apparatus recited in claim i, in which a ground coil is connected in heat exchange relation to the refrigerant fluid heat exchanger.

4. n a heating and cooling apparatus comprising a refrigerant compressor, a fiuid temperature modifying device, means connected to said compressor for circulating a refrigerant therebetween, and means for passing a huid whose temperature is to be modified through said device in heat exchange relation therewith, said improvement comprising first and second sections in said fluid temperature modifying device, said first section comprising a combined evaporator-condenser and the second section being disposed upstream from said first section and comprising a liquid refrigerant sub-cooling means, a liquid refrigerant receiver connected intermediate said first and second sections and including means for separating any gas from the liquid refrigerant entering same, a refrigerant Huid heat exchanger being connected intermediate the sub-cooling section and said compressor, and a refrigerant How reversing valve connected intermediate the compressor and each of said first section and said refrigerant uid heat exchanger.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Borgerd et al. -45

CHARLES SUKALO, Primary Examiner.

JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Examiner. 

1. A HEATING AND COOLING APPARATUS COMPRISING A REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR, A FLUID TEMPERATURE MODIFYING DEVICE, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COMPRESSOR FOR CIRCULATTING A REFRIGERANT THEREBETWEEN, AND MEANS FOR PASSING A FLUID WHOSE TEMPERATURE IS TO BE MODIFIED THROUGH SAME IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION THEREWITH, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING AT LEAST A FIRST SECTION AND A SECOND SECTION, THE LATTER OF WHICH IS DISPOSED UPSTREAM FROM SAID FIRST SECTION, THE FIRST SECTION COMPRISING A COMBINED EVAPORATORCONDENSER AND SAID SECOND SECTION COMPRISING LIQUID REFRIGERANT SUB-COOLING MEANS, A LIQUID REFRIGERANT RECEIVER CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE SAID FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS AND INCLUDING MEANS FOR SEPARATING ANY GAS FROM THE LIQUID REFRIGERANT ENTERING SAME, SAID MEANS FOR CIRCULATING A REFRIGERANT COMPRISING A REFRIGERANT FLUID HEAT EXCHANGER CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE THE SUB-COOLING SECTION OF SAID TEMPERATUE MODIFYING DEVICE AND SAID COMPRESSOIR, AND A REFRIGERANT FLOW REVERSING VALVE CONNECTED INTERMEDIATE THE COMPRESSOR AND EACH OF SAID FIRST SECTION OF THE MODIFYING DEVICE AND SAID REFRIGERANT FLUID HEAT EXCHANGER. 